Tommy Thayer: 'Best Guitar Solo'
An excerpt from Putting a Lid on the 2010 Indiana State Fair
by David Lindquist of INDYSTAR.com
August 23, 2010
I'll remember the 2010 Indiana State Fair as presenting the best lineup of Grandstand concerts since I began writing about Indianapolis music in 1998.
As I mentioned in my recap of Friday's Sugarland show, a mix of musical styles deserves a credit. So, with an eye on autumn, here are five superlatives based on shows I covered at this year's fair:
Best guitar solo: Although fans of Ace Frehley may be in denial, Tommy Thayer of KISS truly rocked the Grandstand. Thayer paid accomplished homage to Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Boston's Tom Scholz during an extended solo. Visually, this segment of the show featured fireworks "shot" from his guitar, a rising platform to correspond with drummer Eric Singer's elevated work and a perfectly executed trick in which a hook snatched Thayer's instrument to the rafters.
Other "Best Of's" included: Best maturation (Rascal Flatts); Best foreshadowing (Drake); Best cover song (Keith Urban); Best song ("Stay" by Sugarland).
